Submergible torpedo-boat



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Submarine vessels.

(No Model.) I. 4 28heets-Sheet 1.

J P. HOLLAND.

SUBMBRIGIBLE TORPEDO BOAT.

No. 472,670. Patent ed Apr. 12, 1892.

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I IBMg 114. SHIPS,

Submarine vessels,

(No Model.) 2 Sheets Sheet 2.

J. P. HOLLAND. SQBMBRGIIBLE TORPEDO BOAT.

No. 472,670; Patented Aim 12, 1892.

INVENTOR:

.dttorney.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN P. HOLLAND, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.-

SUBME RGIBLE- TORPEDO-BOAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 472,670, dated Aprii 12, 1892.

Application filed December 5, 1889- rie No..332-69.5i, memorial.

all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN P. HOLLAND, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, Essex county, New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements in Submergible Torpedo Boats, of which the-followin g is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of torpedo or gun boats com monlycalled submerging or submarine boats; and the object of the invention is to provide a torpedo-boat that will combine with the maximum of protection for both boat and crew the necessary accuracy in steering, the greatest allowable speed, destructiveness, and steadiness, whereby it is possible to begin the attack at a distance of one to two thousandyards distance, and

whereby, also, the boat may be brought near enough to a man-of-war to apply a submerged or submarine torpedo with the minimumrisk of m ury.

In the accompanying d rawings,illustrative of my invention, Figure l is-a'vertical longitu dinal mid-section of the boat, except as to the stern portion thereof. 'Theplane of this lattersection is indicated by line. a a' in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is .a half-plan and half-horizontal section of the boat, the plane of the section being taken justbelow the deck of the boat or crown-plate of the shell. Fig. 3 isan end elevation designed to.illus'trate the form of the bow'or stemot the boat, one-half only being shown; and Fig. 4 is a similar view of the stern of the boat. Fig.5 is a side elevation of the stern portion of the boat. Figs. 6, 7,- 8, 9, 10, and 11 are cross-sections of the boat in the several planes indicated by the lines I), c, d, e, f, and g, respectively, in Fig. 2. Fig. 12 is an enlarged sectional detail to be .referred to hereinafter.

The form of the'shellor body of the boat is sufliciently explained by the drawings. The means of propulsion comprise twinscrews 1 1, driven by engines 2 2, supplied with steam from boilers 3 3. The steam-boiler furnaces are provided with a Smokestack 4., arranged amidships. The boatis furnished with a rudder 5 for ordinarylateral steering. Thearntament of the boat comprises a submerged gun 6 atthe how, a submerged gun 7 at the stern,

arranged between the screws 1 1, two inclined overwater-guns 8 8, directed forward and aft, respectively, and a light rapid-fire gun 9 with a shield mounted on a platform near the stack and always above the water-level.

10 is the forward gun-room, 11 the aftguuroom, and 12 the central gun-room and cabin. In the bow is a water-ballast chamber 13.

On the deck or upper part of the shell of the boat is mounted an armored caisson 14, which embraces the lower portion of the smoke-stack 4 and the air-shaft 15 adjacent to the latter. The forward part of the caisson 14. is fitted up as a conning-tower 16 for the steersman, and the aft part of same provides. a protected companion-way17. Around the top of the companion-way is placeda platform 18, on which is pivotally mounted at the center the gun 9 for rapid firing.

On the deck of the boat and extending fore and aft isa narrow hollow superstructure 19. which is tapered laterally toward the bow and stern to form a cut-water when the boat is submerged. This reduces the resistance to the motion of the boat.

In the ballast-chamber13 are placed the is in rapid motion and advancing to-the attack.

W'ith this'brief description of the general construction of the boat, Iwill now proceed to describe the manner in which the boat is submerged and controlled. The buoyancy of the boat is such that normally the water-line will correspond to line W L 1. To submerge the boat, water is admitted to the chamber 13 at the bow, which sinks it gradually to line \V L 2, the water entering the superstructure 19 at apertures 21 therein placed close to the The aper-.

deck or crown-plate of the boat.

tures 21 near the bow of the boat will be pro- SHIT- 556,

War ships,

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Submarine vessels.

vided with valves or hinged covers opening outward. These will prevent the water from entering at said apertures when the'boat is 7 allowed to rise by the pumping out of the was ter-ballast from the chamber 13. The superstructure is built higher at its center adjacent to the caisson in order that such part may remain empty and buoyant for a longer time than the end portions during the submerging operation, so that the boat may preserve an even keel while sinking; \Vhen rising this same central part will be first emptied of water and lightened over the center of bouyancy of the vessel, and the vessel will thus rise onan even keel. The boat, submerged to the line W L 2, is ready to attack. Advancing rapidly the bow is depressed through the medrum of a pair of vertically-operating rudders 22, placed at each side of the stern, as seen in Fig. 2; These rudders are fixed to'a horizontal rock-shaft 23, which has a crank 24 in it overthe stern-gun 7. Coupled to this crank is a rod 25, which extends forward and is coupled to a rocking-lever 26. To the upper end of this rocking lever is coupled a rod 27, which is coupled at its forward end to an operatinglever 28 in the conning-tower 16. There is a series of peep-holes, as usual, in the wall of th s conning-tower to enable the steersman to d ircctthe course of the boat through the medium of the usual steeringapparatus, and when he has headed the boat for the ship or other object of attack he uses the lever 28 to deflect the rudders 22 to the proper angle, when the forward motion of the boat will submerge it to the line W, L 3. The maximum degree of deflection of t e rudders 22 will be primarily determined and a stop will be provided to prevent the operating-lever from being moved too far.

the submerged guns 6 and 7; but the range or distance will depend in a great degree on the size and character of the guns. The projecttiles may contain high explosives, and any explosive, compressed air, &c., may be employed for firing the projectile. The rapidfire gun 9 may be of. any approved pattern.

It is designed to be used to protect against.

attacks by torpedo or other boats.

My boat depends on the buoyancy of the armored caisson, particularly the large po'r-' tion of it inclosed by the superstructure, to

65 would be wholly ineffective for the purpose.

The overwaterguns 8 may of course be fired at a greater range than.

as the vertical motion: caused by passing waves of considerable size would be .apt to founder the vessel by submerging the-top of the air-shaft and smoke-stack. -A much larger proportionate volume for the caisson is also I inadmissible, for the reason-that the increased weight of the armor could not be carried, and also for the. reason that theirs-creased bulk, and width would increase correspondingly the width of the superstructure. The caisson must have sufficient area in plan for a" pilothouse, air-shaft, and smoke-shaft, and as'the prefer to arrange the pilot-house,-air-s haft,

smoke-stack, and companion-way in the order named, the pilot-house orconning-tower be. ing in front. As the function of the superstructure is in part to-pro'vide a'cut-water for-' ward of the caisson, which latter would otherwise ofier too great resistance to the movement of the boat through thelwater, it is inadmissible to increase the crosssection of the superstructure, for the reason that this would "make the resistance above the axis of the boat too great and increase the tendency of t-he boat to lift forwardwhen under way. In order that the boat may run steadilywhen submerged to line W L2, equal moments I of resistance to forward or backward motion are provided above and below the boats axis, which is in the plane of the'screw-shafts and submerged guns. The upper moments of resistance are calculated from this axis up to W -L 2. 'When the boat is submerged to W L 3, thus putting five feet of water over its body or shell, thev resistance o'lfered by the submerged portion of the caisson between W L 2 and W L 3 to movement through the water produces a force which tends to turn the boat about a transverse axis throughthe center of buoyancy and lift its forward end. This tendency is counterbalanced by the inclined rudders 22. Should the boat happen to reach a greater degree of submergence than to ,W L 3, the momeutof resistance above the axis will be in creased, and the added pressure, acting on the turret near its top, will cause an increased tendency inthe boat to'rise at its forward end. As it is important that this lifting force in case of excessive submergence. shall be effective, the part of the caisson exposed above W L 3 should be made as large as possible without increase ofweight and the partexposed should be placed at a distanceabove the centerof buoyancy approximately equal to the boats depth. In this de sign the'transversesectiom exposed or above W L 3 is eight percent. of the entire transverse section of the boat at this point. and this I deem the minimum. to be effective. This 22,-a shifting ballast-weight may-beemploye exposed portion .is at a' distance above the arranged over the keel amidships and adapted center of buoyancy about equal .to the boats to be moved forward,so as to depress the bow depth. As a f urther protection against exwhen the boat is going'into action. 7 cessive submergence, the air-shaft and smoke- I have not deemed -it,nec'essary to illustrate stack above the top of the caisson are made or describe the, mechanism for pumping square or oblong in cross-section, in that, if blowing the water from chamber 13, for Stee submerged while the boat is advancing, their ing, for ventilation, &c., as these may no of .fiatsurfaces may ofi'er'such resistance to movethe usual or any kind... 75 to mom through the water as will serve instantly Havingjthus described my invention, I

to raise the forward part of the boat and pre.- claim- 1 vent it from foundering. ;The lower portion 1. A torpedo or gun boat provi WW1 of the smoke-stackand air-shaft will be built means for completelysubmerging its hull of metal strong enough to withstand the i-mand having mounted on its hull, at its center, 80 I5 pact of the waves... The weight of the ar-. a hollow armored air-tight caisson surroundmored caisson 14 and the superstructure l9 ing the smoke-stack,air-shaft, and companionwill be counterbalanced by a corresponding way,andhaving also mountedon its hull an mweight or ballast 29, placed at the bottom of closed superstructure having comparatively the boat. I v small apertures for the admission of water, '85 2o The air-shaft and smoke-stack 4-wil1 be thesaid caisson serving to susp the bmade strong enough to withstand the buffetmerged :boat by its buoyancy, and the sai ing of the waves, and their stanchnessmay superstructure serving to gradually retard be-increased by a triangular brace 30, com the sinkingof the hull whilebeing submer meeting the superstructurelil-with saidair- 2. An unarmoredtorpedowh' guuboa p 9 shaft. vided with means for oompletek submerg ng It is possible that in action a line-shot may its hull and having erected on its'hull, at its perforate both the air-shaft 15 and the smokecenter, a hollow and nearly-submergible arstack 4,in.which case the smoke and products mored air-tight caisson which provides the of combustion would be'drawn through the necessary buoyancy to suspend, the hull in 95- 3o shot-holes and down the shaft intothe boat. the water at theproperdepth and prev It To obviate this difficulty I leave a marrow from sinking to the bottom. space 31 between the. shaft and stack, and ar- 3. A torpedo or gun boat provided with range therein nslide or screen in the nature means for completely submerging its hull, of a thin metal plate adapted to be pushed up having a hollow nearly-submergible air-tigl1t I00 3 5' from the cabin 12 far enough to mask or close caisson on its deck,"over its center of volume, the shot-hole in the stack and prevent the eswhich suspends said submerged hull by its cape of gases thereat to any injurious extent. buoyancy, and having companion-ways and This slide may be constructed and operated air-tight doors .in its deck leading from said in any convenient manner. In Fig. 1 I show caisson to the compartments in the hull.

the screen or slide 32, provided with a stem 4. A torpedo or gun boat provided with 33, which extends through the deck of the means for submerging its hull, having a boat down into the cabin or gun-room 12, passnearly-submergible, hollow, and air-tight caising through a packed opening or gland there- ,son on its deck, over its center of volume, to in by preference in order to prevent leakage. suspend it in the water, havin gair-tight doors I 1c 5 On the superstructure in front of the conin its deck leading from said caisson to the hing-tower is or may be placed a wave-cutter compartments in the hull, and having on its 34. in the natureof an angular plate adapted deck a hollow covered superstructure with to cut and break the waves and prevent them pointed ends and relatively small apertures from dashing into the sight-holes of the tower. in it to admit water, said superstructure iur r 5 5o 1 have stated that one function of the su-. 'closing the lower part of said .caisson. perstructure 19 is to serve asacut-water; but 5. A torpedo or gun boat having mounted 1t has another important function. 'The apon its deck a hollow and air-tight caisson arertures 21 in the superstructure are so small ranged over itscenter of volume and a 'covand so few in comparison with the capacityered apertured superstructure which incloses' no of the superstructure that the latter fills and the lower part of said caisson and having empties slowly, and thus the subm'orgence of. within its hull a water-chamber ofsufficient the boat will be efiected gradually. When capacity to submerge the hull and superthe superstructure is above the water-level, structure andto nearly submerge said caisverylittle water will enter the superstructure son, and means for filling and emptying said :25

at these apertures from the dashing of the chamber.

waves over the body of the boat. -6. A torpedo or gurv boat provided with In Fig. 12 I have shown the valve 35, that means for submerging its hull and with vercloses the forward apertures 21 in the supertically-operating rudders for depressing its structure. This view is on a larger scale than bow when the boat is in motion and having 1 0 6 5 the other figures. mounted on its deck a hollow and air-tight As a bow-depressor, in lieu of the rudders structure which projects upward and regulates the degree of enforced submergence of In witness whereof I have hereunto signed the hlili by its resistance and buoyancy. my name in the presence of two subscribing [O 7.kA teirpedo or gnn boat having a smokewitnesses. sta e an an air-s aft arran ed side b side 1 5 and provided with a sci'een to close a shot- JUHN HOLLAND hole therein, said screen being provided with Witnesses: means, substantially as described, for operat- HENRY CONNETT, ing it from the inside of the boat. JOHN D. CAPLINGERi 

